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No. 468,792. Patented Feb. 16,1892.

(No Model.) I 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. T. CRITGHLOW.

TOWER.

No. 468,792. Patpnted Feb. 16, 189 2.

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TOWER.

N0. 468,792. Patented Feb. 16, 1892.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Orricn.

THOMAS CRITCl-ILOTV, OF NEXV YORK, N. Y.

TOWER.'

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 468,792, dated. February 16, 1892.

Application filed July 3, 1891. Serial No, 398,349. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS ORITOHLOW, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Towers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in towers.

My improvements have reference to a tower of peculiar shape and construction as hereinafter described; have reference to elevating cars for conveying passengers to the top of the tower and to a peculiar arrangement of the ascending and descending tracks therefor; have reference to a spiral path for travelers depending 011 personal locomotion and the connection of said path with said car-track; have reference to an appropriate dome and spire for said tower proper; have reference to elevators and driving mechanism therefor to convey passengers to the top of said spire, and have reference to points of construction and detail hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and on which like reference-letters indicate correspon ding parts, Figure 1 represents a side view of the tower complete, half being in section; Fig. 2, a plan of the car-tracks at the lower terminus; Fig. 3, a similar plan at the upper terminus and of the observation-platform at the top of the tower proper; Fig. 4:, an enlarged sectional view of a portion of a column, showing a car passing through the same; Fig. 5, a similar view of a portion of the car-track with the path adjacent thereto. Fig. 6 is a detail view; Fig. 7, a sectional View on the line ma: of Fig. 5; Fig. 8,aside view of one of the draw-bridge terminals, and Fig. 9 a plan view of the same. Figs. 10 and 11 are detail views of the elevating mechanism.

Theletter A designates the tower proper, preferably consisting of twenty-four (24) columns, each column being constructed, preferably, of the style known as box-columns, The detail construction of said columns is in dicated in Figs. 4 to 9, inclusive, being made up of plates and angle irons or knees and suitably braced by lattice girders or otherwise, whereby a tower, preferebly circular,

and of strong yet open frame-work, is formed. For example, the dimensions of the tower proper may be as follows: diameter at the base, five hundred feet, tapering to three hundred feet at a height of eight hundred feet, or any similar or other suitable proportion. Vithin the walls of the tower proper and preferably passin through the columns, as indicated in Figs. 1, at, and 7, are arranged spiral tracks adapted to carry cars thereon driven by electricity or other suitable means. The spiral arrangement of said car-tracks permits of an easy ascending grade, such as one in five, which will do away with practically the whole danger of accident from breakage of the machinery and overcome the fears of timid persons from that and other causes. Lattice-girders at, having the above-mentioned preferred inclination, connect each column and pass through or connect openings B in the same, on which girders are laid the sleep ers 1'), adapted to carry the rails and their fixtures, on which run the cars. The rails may be corrugated, toothed, or otherwise adapted to prevent slipping of the wheels thereon, as is indicated in Fig. 6. As seen from Figs. 5 and 7, the sleepers Z1 extend out beyond the face of the tower proper a suitable distance and are covered by planking or other covering 0, whereby is formed a foot-path adjacent and corresponding with the car-track in inclination for the use of those who prefer to go up on foot instead of by car. Braces d also support said foot path or road from the face of the tower as an additional support and brace for the same. A railing 6 gives security and forms a truss at the outer edge of said foot path or road.

The cars may be of any convenient construction, such as single or double deck, as shown in Figs. 7 and 4, respectively, and the open form of construction of the tower proper affords a gradually-widening panoramic view of the surrounding scenery and country as the car ascends to the top of said tower proper.

Referring to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the car-tracks and their corresponding foot path or road constitute a double spiral similar to a two-threaded screw. Two separate and distinct car-tracks thus run from the bottom to the top of the tower proper, each track havthe descending to the ascending tracks, and

vice versa, as will presently be described.

Referring to Figs. 8 and 9, the letter O designates a section of the car-track having supporting and side trusses or other braces D and pivoted at one end in bearings E, carried by the adjacent column. This section of the track thus pivoted passes through one or more of the succeeding columns, as shown in Fig. 9, and is adapted to be raised like a draw-bridge by any suitable means, such as by chains, cords, or ropes F, secured to said section 0 and passing over pulleys G, mounted on the adjacent column, through which chains, cords, or ropes the counterbalancing-weights H exert their gravitatin g influence to keep the said section 0 in a normally-elevated position, as indi cated by dotted lines, Fig. 8. For exaniple, the car descending from the track g in Fig. 2 will pass from the lower terminal down upon the circular track after bearing down the section 0 at the end of the said descending spiral g. The pivoted section being then automatically raised, the car will reverse its direction, as indicated by the arrows, and proceed around to and up the ascending spiral f. \Vhen it arrives at the top of the tower proper, a similar circular track receives the car from the spiral f, Fig. 3, on which it will proceed in the direction of the arrow till it arrives on a similar pivoted section at g, Figs. 3 and 8, the beginning of the descending spiral. This section 0 will be deflected by the weight of the car from its normally-horizontal position to that shown in full lines in Fig. 8, and thus deliver the car upon the first pitch of the said spiral g. The normal tendency of the pivoted section will cause it to rise to its horizontal position after delivering the car on the first pitch of the spiral, thus leaving the way clear for the car to descend the spiral to its lower terminal at g, Fig. 2. The opening B at the top of the tower proper continues all the way around the same and the passengers ascend by the steps I to the top of the tower proper, which is covered by a semicircular dome J, formed of lattice-girders or otherwise, and preferably provided with a glass roof for the admission of light thereto. A large well-lighted room is thus formed, which may be used for an art-gallery or other suitable purpose.

Another means of transferring the cars from the descending to the ascending track is indicated in Fig. 2 by the S-shaped track shown in dotted lines, and connecting the terminals of both spirals. The cars descending at 9 will thus be reversed and headed correctly for the ascending spiralf. A similar method. may be employed for the upper terminals, if so desired.

The top of the tower proper is provided with. a preferably wider observation-platform A, whereto the travelers by the cars and road have access on arrival at the upper terminal.

' In Fig. 4 I have indicated the use to which one foot path or road may be put-namely, as a fine opportunity for coasting on bicycles, the easy grade rendering it possible to climb the ascending spiral on a wheel andaffording an unsurpassed coast on the descending trip. If so desired, one spiral or portion thereof may be set apart for this particular use. The diameter of the dome J, corresponding with the other dimensions, is preferably about three hundred feet. The upper room or chamber K begins ataheight of about one hundred and seventy-five feet from the observation platform A, forming a circular chamber about one hundred and fifty feet in diameter and fifty feet in height of wall, from which springs a spire L, suitably braced and stayed and terminating in a sphere M at a height of about sixteen hundred feet from the lower floor or terminal of the spirals.

Referring to Fig. 10, the letters 0 and P designate the elevator-shafts, whereby the upper altitude is reached from the artgallery .within the dome J. A rope O, to which is attached the elevator-cages, passes over dupleX grooved drums R and S, mounted in suitable brackets secured to the cross-girder or upper platform T, and is driven by means of screw-gears B, S, meshing with their respective worm-pinions on the driving-shaft U. The supporting-cable thus winding back and forth over the duplex grooved drums R and S, as indicated in Fig. 11, unwinds from one drum as itwinds up on the other, thus elevating one cage While the other descends. Any suitable means may be employed for driving the worm-shaft U; but the preferred means are by a dynamo V, connected by pulleys and belts or otherwise to the said worm-shaft, whereby the high speed of the dynamo is converted into the relatively low speed of the duplex drums through the worm-and-gear connection before described. Other driving means may be employed, but electricity is preferred, since the machinery therefor maybe more conveniently raised and set in position at the top of the spire.

If desired, the spire maybe dispensed with and the dome J modified to constitute any convenient form of roof for the tower proper.

The practically-safe means of transit from the bottom to the top of the tower proper, as well as the corresponding foot path or road, especially recommend my device to the public, giving themachoice of methods of reaching the observation -platform A. Furthermore, it will be observed that the outside construction of spiral roadway, together with the open-work columns, afford a magnificentpanoramic view of the surrounding country as the ascent continues.

It will be observed that the dome J maybe divided into compartments, if so desired, which compartments may be formed within said dome without interferring with its use as an art-gallery or otherwise.

The base on which the tower rests may be raised above the ground and formed into steps to ascend to the foot of the columns and the lower terminals of the car-track and roadway.

I do not limit myself to the exact form and construction shown for carrying out my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a tower, of inclined tracks for cars, the said tracks being located one over the other and adapted to be used for ascending and descending, respectively, and means to transfer said cars from one track to the other.

2. The combination, with a tower, of inclined tracks for cars, located within the walls of said tower, and a roadway adjacent to and corresponding with said track in inclination.

3. The combination, with a tower, of an inclined roadway and corresponding car-track having sleepers extending out beyond the face of said tower to support said roadway, substantially as shown and described.

at. The combination, with a tower, of a plurality of inclined tracks for cars, located spirally one track above the other within the walls of said tower and provided with sleepers extending beyond'the face of said tower, and a plurality of roadways supported outside the face of said tower by said sleepers, substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination, with a tower, of inclined tracks for cars, adapted to be used for ascending and descendingfa pivoted tracksection at the upper and lower terminus of said tracks, counterbalancing-weights therefor, and operative connections between said weights and track-sections, whereby the latter automatically return to their normal position and allow a transfer of the cars from one track to the other.

6. The combination, with a series of b0X- columns, of a series of spiral tracks and supporting-girders forming the bracing connections between said columns.

7. The combination, witha tower, of spiral tracks for cars, the said tracks being located the one over the other, similarly to a doublethreaded screw, and adapted to be used for ascending and descending, respectively, and means to transfer said cars from one track to the other.

8. The combination, with a tower, of inclined tracks for cars, adapted to be used for ascending and descending, a pivoted tracksection at the upper and the lower terminus of said tracks, and means to operate said pivoted sections. g

9. A tower adapted to be used for observation purposes, the same consisting of a tower proper, spiral tracks for the same, adapted for use as an elevator, a dome-shaped covering for said tower proper, adapted to be divided into compartments, a spire mounted on the top of said dome, and elevating means to make the ascent to the top of said spire, all substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS CRITCHLOW.

lVitnesses:

XVARREN S. BURT, FRANCIS OREILLY, Jr. 

